Hello my friends!! I did say I won't complain about the heat because of the long, cold winter, so I won't!! It's hot out today, and especially while I picked raspberries, but then after that I could in in our AC house! Picked almost 200 of them today!! Made some chicken soup today from left over bones etc. from Lori's chicken yesterday. Turned out delicious!! So nice to see you all post here! Love to hear from you and see how you all are. I called Erma today - she seemed fine, watching something important on TV. Short conversation!! I bet she's glad to be back. Praying for you all!!
Our time here is short and there is still so much to be done. Lord, please
let me do a little more for You today so that the world may be a little
better because of me.
Scripture for the day:
"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Let your good spirit
lead me on a level path. For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my
life. In your righteousness bring me out of trouble. In your
steadfast love cut off my enemies, and destroy all my adversaries,
for I am your servant." ~Psalm 143:10-12
Meditation for the day:
When we are honestly trying to live the way we believe Gods wants
us to live, we can get guidance from God in times of quiet
communion. We can direct our thoughts toward God's will and all
good thing. The attitude of "Your will be done" leads to clear
guidance. We can act on this guidance and we can be led to better
things. Our impulses can seem to become less our own and more the
leading of God's spirit acting through our thoughts. Obeyed, they
can bring us the answers to our prayers.
Prayer for the day:
I pray that I may try to think God's thoughts after God. I pray
that my thoughts maybe guided by God's thoughts.
That's HIM!
Not long ago, somewhere in the hinterlands of Mindanao, a grim tragedy
happened. A frustrated father shot dead his wife before finally turning the
gun on himself, pulling the trigger. The entire scene was witnessed by a
lone survivor, a seven year old boy---the couple's only son. They were so
impoverished that his parents thought it was the only way out. Relatives
from both sides grieved and pitifully wanted to adopt the orphaned child but
they were also very poor. Fortunately, a priest from a nearby town agreed
to look after him in his parish locality. It was difficult for volunteer
workers in the church to communicate with the boy because he seemed to be
always in a state of shock. Teaching was not any easier since he did not
have any educational foundation at all, sad to say, illiterate.
One afternoon, while the young lad was attending Catechism class the Church
was conducting for the less fortunate children in the neighborhood, the
teacher was showing an enlarged poster of Jesus Christ. As he was going
around the room, he asked his class,"Do you know who this is?" Every child
had a puzzled look as they silently stared at the photo. Suddenly, amid the
eerie silence, the boy stood up with eyes wide open and pointing to the
poster, "That's HIM! He was the one who was with me at the moment my parents
died!", he screamed repeatedly in his native dialect.
Everybody in the room did not know what to say, especially those who knew of
the boy's history.
TO SEE IN THE DARK
By: Bro. Andrew Maria, MMHC
A boy and his father are walking through a large forest. To cross to
the other side, they have to pass through a long dark tunnel. The boy
hesitates at the entrance.
"Father," the boy says, "how can I walk in there when it is so dark?
I
will not see where I am going. We have neither candles nor torches to
light our way."
The father calmly tells his son, "Once inside, close your eyes for
several minutes to give them a chance to get accustomed to the dark.
When you open them again, I assure you that you will be able to see
the way through the tunnel."
The boy does what his father has told him. After closing his eyes for
sometime, he is able to see inside the tunnel. Through it is very
dark, he and his father are able to cross safely to the other side.
"Son," the father tells him, "if you don't have anything with which
to
light the darkness, use darkness to see in the dark."
FAITH is that darkness....
WHAT ABOUT ABSTINENCE?
Author Unknown
I was holding a notice from my 13-year-old son's school announcing a
meeting to preview the new course in sexuality. Parents could examine
the curriculum and take part in an actual lesson presented exactly as
it
would be given to the students.
When I arrived at the school, I was surprised to discover only about
a
dozen parents there. As we waited for the presentation, I thumbed
through page after page of instructions in the prevention of
pregnancy
or disease. I found abstinence mentioned only in passing. When the
teacher arrived with the school nurse, she asked if there were any
questions. I asked why abstinence did not play a noticeable part in
the
educational material.
What happened next was shocking. There was a great deal of laughter,
and
someone suggested that if I thought abstinence had any merit, I
should
go back to burying my head in the sand. The teacher and the nurse
said
nothing as I drowned in a sea of embarrassment. My mind had gone
blank,
and I could think of nothing to say. The teacher explained to me that
the job of the school was to teach "facts," and the home was
responsible
for moral training.
I sat in silence for the next 20 minutes as the sexuality course was
explained. The other parents seemed to give their unqualified support
to
the materials.
At the break time, the teacher announced that there were donuts in
the
back of the room and requested that everyone put on a name tag and
mingle with each other. Everyone moved to the back of the room. As I
watched them affixing their name tags and shaking hands, I sat deep
in
thought. I was ashamed that I had not been able to convince them to
include a serious discussion of abstinence in the educational
materials.
I uttered a silent prayer for guidance.
My thoughts were interrupted by the teacher's hand on my shoulder.
"Won't you join the others, Mr. Layton?" The nurse smiled sweetly at
me.
"The donuts are good."
"Thank you, no," I replied.
"Well, then, how about a name tag? I'm sure the others would like to
meet you."
"Somehow I doubt that," I replied.
"Won't you please join them?" she coaxed.
Then I heard a still, small voice whisper, "Don't go." The message in
my
head was unmistakable: "Don't go!"
"I'll just wait here," I said.
When the class was called back to order, the teacher looked around
the
long table and thanked everyone for putting on name tags. She ignored
me. Then she said, "Now we're going to give you the same lesson we'll
be giving your children. Everyone please peel off your name tags and
look at the back of the tag."
I watched in silence as the tags came off. "Now then, I drew a tiny
flower on the back of one of the tags. Who has it, please?" the
teacher
asked.
The gentleman across from me held it up. "Here it is!"
"All right," she said. "The flower represents disease. Do you recall
with whom you shook hands?" He pointed to a couple of people. "Very
good," she replied. "The handshake in this case represents intimacy.
So
the two people you had contact with now have the disease." There was
laughter and joking among the parents.
The teacher continued, "And whom did the two of you shake hands
with?"
The point was well taken, and she explained how this lesson would
show
students how quickly disease is spread. She concluded by saying,
"Since
we all shook hands, we all have the disease."
It was then that I heard the still, small voice again. "Speak now,"
it
said, "but be humble." I wryly noted the latter admonition, then rose
from my chair. I apologized for any upset I might have caused
earlier,
congratulated the teacher on an excellent lesson that would impress
the
youth, and concluded by saying I had only one small point I wished to
make. "Not all of us were infected with the disease," I said. "One of
us ... abstained."
Better Together
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do Hebrews
10:24,25
We were in the midst of a glorious sight. Surrounding us were massive
boulders and giant flat top granite rocks sparkling in the sunlight. Elegant
aspens swayed and fluttered in the pale breeze. Massive evergreens and pines
towered around us.
By a waterfall, I noticed a baby aspen tree standing all alone. Close-by was
a taller aspen, yet still young. A pine tree behind it had boughs that came
around the sides of the younger tree, as if to steady and support it.
I thought of how important it is to have something standing by us as we
grow. We don’t turn babies loose while they are learning to walk. We don’t
usually let toddlers run unless we are with them. We stand by them,
sometimes from behind the scenes, sometimes holding their hands, until they
can fully stand on their own.
Jesus discipled the people who followed Him. We have a responsibility to
disciple others in our family of believers. We can help, teach, encourage,
and listen to one another. I believe it is the way the body of believers is
to operate. Ask yourself today, whom have I received ‘mentoring from’, and
whom do I ‘mentor’.
We are better together; that’s good news.
Two are better than one…. If either of them falls down, one can help the
other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Inspirational messages, Sally I. Kennedy ©2014
www.sallyikennedy.com
Give a Kind Word
Do you know a heart that hungers
For a word of love and cheer?
There are many such about us;
It may be that one is near.
Look around you. If you find it
Speak the word that's needed so,
And your own heart may be strengthened
By the help that you bestow.
Never think kind words are wasted,
Bread on waters cast are they,
And it may be we shall find them
Coming back to us, some day.
Coming back when sorely needed,
In a time of sore distress,
So, my friend, let's give them freely;
Gift and giver God will bless.
Author Unknown
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